Pleasing Fungus Beetles

Family Erotylidae

Erotylidae is a family made up of some 2500 species worldwide. Both adults and larvae feed on basidiomycete fungi. Some groups within Erotylidae show parental care, and some are gregarious in the nymphal stages.

Many species exhibit bright and glossy colors contrasting with black, and are marked with stripes, spots, rings, and zigzags. It is not clear whether these bright patterns warn of toxic compounds within the beetle's bodies, or whether they mimic the colors of noxious insects (Robertson, McHugh, and Whiting, 2004).

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